Rotary well-drilling apparatus



June 14 1927.

E. A. REED ROTARY WELL DRILLJENG APPARATUS 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1925 d m. WM. 5

alto rum June 14,, 1927. E

ROTARY-WEI;

A. REED DRILLING APPARATUS Feb. 27. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 File ' ters are useless, hence the material a well drilling apparatus in whi 1 s uziriii EARL A. REED, OI OKEMAH, OKLAHOMA. l

ROTARY WELL-DRILLING- APPARATUS.

Application filed rebmar w, 1925. Serial No. 12,071.

The invention relates to improvements in a rotary we'll drilling apparatus.

It is an object of the invention to 'rovide 7 large carriers can be utilized for supporting the cutters and detachably secured in the bit head by means of removable bearings.

In the use of rotary. bit drills it has heretofore been customary in the art to manufacture the cutters from solid bar stock.- Assoon as the teeth are. destroyed the cutforming the body of the cutter is wasted.

This invention aims to utilize cutters manufactured from tubularstock by mounting sa id cutters on carriers or supports of a substantial diameter and in providing the bit head with removable bearings by means of which these large carriers maybe removably supported in the head.

The invention more specifically relates to improvements in a bit head whereby the, enlarged carriers for the cross cutter and the v side cutters may be; supported by removable bearings attached to and. forming a part of the bit head thereby permitting cutters to be used that aremade from tubular stock without necessitating the use of bushings, or

small bearing pins.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a view of a bit head with the cutters and their carriers removed showing the detachable hearing caps in position.

Figure 2 represents a view showing the bearing cap in attached position for supporting one of the side cutters.

Figure 3 discloses a view with the cutters in 'the drill head; and,

Figure 4 illustrates a slightly modified view of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, the numeral 1 designates a drill head that ma be of a conventional type having arrange therein a central water feeding passage 2, an undercut-pocket 3 and two side pockets 4 formed by the walls 5 and 6. The undercut pocket receives and supports a cross cutter carrier bearing a series of cutters while the side pockets receive the side cutters of a construction to be hereinafter described.

.In the prior use of drills or this kind the cutters have generally been constructed from solid bar stock. As soon as the teeth are in-, jured the cutter is no longer capable of use.

QWhen discarded this means that the body material is wasted. When not so constructed it has been necessary to mount the cutters on bushings, which operation has not been satisfactory in all respects. The presentinvention comprehends the use of cutters made from tube stock which are mounted in the bit head without the use of bushings. To

this end I utilize a carrier or hearing mem-' her for the cutters which is of a substantialdiameter. For instance, the cross cutters 7 are supported by a carrier 8 extending a through the bit head, which carrier is of a very substantial diameter; On this carrier the cutters 7 loosely rotate. Interposed be tween the walls 5 and 6 at each side of the bit head there is also a,carrier 9 of substantlally the same diameter as the carrier 8 upon each of which carriersthere is rotatably mounted a cutter 10 formed from tube stock.

In order to permit the use of carriers of a large diameter such as herein disclosed, it is preferable that improved means be procircular cup-shaped openings 13 in the lower 'part of the bit head. These openings, of

course, receive the usual bearings. The sides of the drill head also have cup-shaped openings 14 which align with the cup-shaped openings 15 in the bearing cap. The bear-' ing cap'further has a series of shoulders 16 that enter complemental recesses 17 in the lower edge of the bit head to take lateral stresses placed on the bearing cap. Fastening screws 18 pass through the cap and enter the drill head for the purpose of uniting the cap" thereon.

It will furthermore be seen in Figure 2 that the side walls 5 of the drill head receivedetachable bearings 20, having openings 21 therein to support the outer ends of the carriers for the side cutters. .The carriers are formed with ears 23 which enter pockets 24 in the side walls of the bit head and fastening screws 26 pass through these ears and the side walls of the bit head to re tain the carrier in position and to permit it to be. moved laterally from the bit head when a carrier is being placed therein or removed therefrom.

vided for supporting said carriers in the 1 carriers.

From this description it will be seen that to assemble the drill the bearing cap 11 is first removed by a loosening of the screws 18. The large cross carrier 8 with its outters is then inserted in the bottom of the bit head, the ends of this carrier resting in the semicircular cup-shaped bearings 13. This carrier is retained in position by a dowel pin or the like and does not rotate. The carriers 9 for the side cutters 10 are also at this time inserted in position. The inner ends of these carriers are inserted in the semicircular cup-shaped opening 15, one carrier being disposed at each side of the drill head. One of the removable bearings or brackets is then inserted over the end of its carrier, the carrier, of course, at this time having loosely mounted thereon its cutter. The bearing 21 in this bracketreceives the end of its carrier. The bracket is then moved into position shown in Figure 2 and the fastening screws 26 tightened to hold this bearing bracket in position. Dowel pins are provided to prevent a rotation of the side The bearing cap 11 is then inserted in position, the semi-circular bearings therein fitting over the various ends of the carriers, and the fastening screws 12 adusted so as to unite this hearing cap to the it head. The carriers with their cutters are thus held firmly 'iilthe bit; head, it being apparent that thesesr'carriers are of a very substantial diameter, making it possible to use cutters constructed from tube stock Without necessitating the use ofbushings and that also the bit head is not unduly weakened in supporting such carriers. The cu shaped openings found in the removab e cap 11 communicate with'keyway slots 12 receiving keys 13, one of which is shown in Fig.4 for the purpose of retaining the center and side carriers against rotation.

' In Figure 4 I have shown a slightly modified form of the invention wherein the hearing cap does not surround the entire lower portion of the bit head, but in which structure a removable bearing cap is utilized adjacent each opening in the bit head for one of the carriers. Each bearing cap is retained in position by screws 26, it being apparent that in this modified construction instead of utilizing a single bearing cap for all of the various bearings as shown in Figure 1, I employ a separate bearing cap for surrounding each bearing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i

1. In a drill, the combination with a bit head having an open interior, a cross carrier disposed within the open interior of said head, cross cutters mounted on said carrier, a removable cap having in its upper edge a series of semi-circular openings corresponding to the openings in the lower edge of the drill head to form with such openings journals for the carrier, and fastening devices for securing said cap to the bottom of the drill head.

2. In a drill, a drill head, a center carrier, cutters on the carrier, said drill head having a series of semi-circular openings in the lower edge thereof, side cutter carriers for the drill head, side cutters on said carriers, a removable cap, said cap having openings therein corresponding to the openings in the 1 loweredge of the drill head, means for securing the removable cap to the drill head 'whereby the openings in the drill cap-are in alignment to provide journals for the center carrier and for one side of each of the side carriers, and'removable bearings connected with the drill head for supporting the opposite sides of said side carriers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EARL A. REED. 

